One-man portables

[Iceman12]

I'm thinking about getting a one-man for the ice season. Just wondering about some types and how you like them? Also the cost you got them for? Any feedback would be great. THanks

[CNY Tim]

I have a clam style fish trap pro but I am sure there are tons of options in the one man portable catagory. Plenty of room for a 6' 1" guy at 240 lbs. Most local shops have them for $279. The new ice armor fabric is very durable. I like mine. If you do purchase one I would purchase the wear strips for the tub or attach a cheap pair of downhill ski's that you can modify to fit the length of the runners. My only harp on the fishtraps is that the bases thickness is lacking. Other than that it's my second home.

[Corey Bechtold]

Fortunately there are plenty of houses to choose from to fit your fishing style. Before you get a one man consider up-sizing a little and getting a 2 man instead. If you want to fish more than one hole and have a little room to spare a 2 man would be my choice. I have fished out of the one man's and they are a little tight. When you look at the style of the houses look at how the front is shaped. A nice feature that I have seen on some Polar Sports, Nordics, and a few others is that they don't slant down so much. This is a huge selling feature because you're not setting the hook and hitting the front of the house with your rod tip. Remember that you also get what you pay for. If you are doing a lot of moving around you might want to choose a house that has a good quality sled. Some of the cheaper houses will wear down in time, I know that from experience. When you look at some houses, sit down and move around. Try and picture where you will put the heater, rods, tackle, cooler, and most importantly, bucket for fish.

I hope this helps. If you have any other ?'s let me know, I would be glad to help.

Good Luck

Corey Bechtold

[Chris Haley]

For a one man, you have to look at Otter Outdoors "Small Den" It is comparable to clam's "Pro" only in price!!! The "Den" runs $309 with the otter sled, and the "Pro" runs $299.95. This is where the comparison stops!! The "Den" is 56"x69"x62" and the "Pro" is 43"x78"x60. The sled on the "Den" is a durable Otter sled and the sled on the "Pro" is just the shallow clam sled. Check the photos on clam's site and you see the woman pulling the "Pro" and carrying her depth finder. With an Otter you load everything into the sled and go. The Otter also has a square tube design that is so much more durable than the round tubes. The thickness of the sleds is also an issue, with the Otter's sled almost a 3/8 of inch thick.

[katoguy]

I use to have a 1-man trap (before all the choices of the larger models). Good, but a little tight.

I went to a 2-man Otter. Loved it. Pulls kind of hard. But plenty of room for 2. Great sled.

Make note that it will take up more room in your garage, etc... I am going back smaller this year so I can fit a portable in the old Bronco. (Had to pull out the rear seat to get the 2-man Otter in.)

[Iceman12]

I actually have an old suitcase style 2-man 4 hole one. A friend of mine and me were thinking about getting 1-man's so we could move around a lot more and try and find the fish easier.

[hanson]

I'll 2nd Chris Haley's recommendation on the "Small Den" Otter house. I've been using the Den as a 1 man house for 2 years now and it will do everything that I could want it to do.

-If you are worried about hitting the front of the house while setting the hook, it'll happen occasionally, usually when I get a little excited

-A Mr. Heater Buddy will heat a house this size very well until about 0 to -5 and then it gets a little cold for me anyway. I then switch to an 11lb tank w/ a sunflower head and stick it in the front left corner of the house. Still plenty of 'floor space' out front for 2 holes, the heater, and my Marcum.

-The house is wide enough that you can fish 2 holes and not have to worry about your lines tangling that much when you are in 30' of water

-I'm a shorter guy at 5'-7". I can stand up and stretch but I have to squat or bend my neck down a little. This is nice because you can stand up in the house to fight a fish. You can also kneel down to grab one coming out of the hole. A house any smaller than this, you might not be able to do this.

The only drawback would be you can't have another fishing partner inside.

[Northlander]

I have a Fishtrap Guide thats a perfect 1 man house. I just ordered a new Otter Lodge for a bit more headroom. Im 6'6" so I need it. The guide is still light but a lot more room than a 1 man. I can pull it by hand with all my gear no problem. Im going to post it in the for sale forum in the next week if anyones interested.

E-mail me because I may have several other options for you. [email protected]

[arbuck]

I would 2nd the Fish Trap Guide. If you are thinking of a one man house the guide offers you more room without that much more weight. And if you ever want to have someone join you, you have that option. Unless it is a case of not being able to transport it (car trunk) I would go with the Guide.

Just my opinion

arbuck

[buzbunni]

One thing to take into consideration is what type of vehicle you will be loading the shelter into. I have a taurus wagon, and although I was looking at the Frabill Ranger Solo, it appears that it will be a bit wide for the back of the car. Also, like katoguy said, garage space may be a consideration. It's looking like I will be going with the otter small den , or perhaps the new cottage . Whatever, I just can't wait to get my first shelter .

[Surface Tension]

Iceman12, Theres quite a few models to choose from. Tell us your requirements and style of fishing we can narrow the field down a bit.

Some of the considerations are vehicle size and mode of transportation on the ice. I go into some remote locations where my sled really takes a beating, I wouldn't dare use any other sled then a Otter. Polar sleds are tough too but I like Otter design better.

Unless your plan on traveling on foot exclusively I would recommend going to a 2 man even if you never plan on fishing with a partner. You'll appreciate the added room and the option to fish 2 lines. Keep in mind your heater and flasher take up room too. I've solved the problem of storage and mice by hanging my portables from the rafters in the garage.

[Norsk Fisker]

Iceman

I have been looking for a two person suitcase shelter. What don't you like about them? Is it the setup?

[Iceman12]

Norsk Fisker, I don't mind it at all. The only thing I don't like about it is you can't load your gear in there and pull it across the lake when you can't drive out there because there is no sled. Plus I am just looking for a smaller one as I don't have a truck as of now. ANother reason I want a smaller one is a buddy of mine and I, who go out all the time together, want to both get them so we can be more mobile and find more fish. I'm just getting some idea's for now. The budget is a little tight at this time but it could always go on the X-mas list.

[loebs93]

I have the FishTrap Pro and love it for a one person portable. It’s large enough to fit me, two holes, the vex and Mr. Heater all out on the ice comfortably. I would not go any smaller though (scout), just a little too tight for me...just my 2 cents.